HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training Explained

I am a senior and in my 70s I have been into physical fitness all my life. Lately I have been researching various kinds of fitness programs being promoted today. I have purchased numerous books on fitness including this 229 page soft cover volume (HIIT High intensity Interval Training Explained by James Driver). I am familiar with most physical fitness programs as I have tried many (Circuit training routines, WOD routines, U.S. Navy SEAL Fitness programs, Army Fitness programs, Boxing aerobics, Kick boxing aerobics, Tactical aerobics, PACE etc.) of them over the years. I have always believed in challenging myself and I love the approach to fitness of this HIIT program. I love the fact that you can achieve optimum fitness without having to spend hours at the gym. I was also very happy to read about the research being done lately on the effectiveness of doing high intensity interval training. This fantastic book covers some of the latest research comparing HIIT workouts to other types of cardiovascular training. This text is organized into three parts. Part one gives an introduction to the HIIT philosophy and why it works so well to achieve high levels of fitness. The second part covers why HIIT is superior to continuous training methods when it comes to exercise enjoyment, weight loss, exercise duration and other factors. The final part explains how to implement HIIT programs. This part goes into the required HIIT intensity, HIIT frequency, HIIT protocols, nutrition and other topics. I was especially fascinated with the wide variety of HIIT programs one can practice and get great results. I also loved doing the “Tabata” routine but I did it for 12 cycles rather than the 8 circles and found it to be fantastic. I also do numerous stretching and yoga asanas to balance my workout routine. If you are into physical fitness or sports this is a must read book on the HIIT exercise philosophy. I loved it. Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Samurai Aerobics for Fitness)

This book is excellent and really filled in some holes in my understanding of HIIT and how to do it, why it works, etc. I only give four stars because the nutrition section seems contrary to everything I'm reading about nutrition and it is really the only major section where they aren't cited studies listed to back up what he says. There is a growing amount of evidence that doing HIIT in a fasted state is actually beneficial not harmful. It doesn't break down your muscle tissue, it increases growth hormone which helps you build muscle. Just make sure you eat all the macros you need for the day. That makes sense evolutionarily. We had to work hard to chase down our food before we could eat it. It doesn't make sense that our body would eat it's own muscles every time we did that. We wouldn't have survived. There is an emphasis on carbohydrates and I understand that HIIT utilizes a lot of glucose but I also know that my body can make glucose out of protein. So, if it's so good to teach your body how to burn fat and higher fat oxidation levels are better, why are we feeding our bodies so many carbs? Glucose stores will still be replenished with lower carbs and higher protein (essential amino acids). Fat is also not bad, as long as you are getting balanced omegas. Nutrition is a whole book though, if not many.

I loved this hiit book. The research details to support his claims create a lot trust. I read the book in a short time. I wanted to turn the pages. Every question answered. I know why I will do hiit, how to do it and when to do it. BTW. I started sprinting a few weeks ago after learning about it via Dr Sean O'mara. A very interesting man studying visceral fat as an indicator of disease. Metabolic syndrome, cholesterol etc. Check his YouTube and twitter updates. I wish I had this book before starting to sprint. Within 3 days of starting I torn my hamstring. Oh my goodness. Enjoy this book. We will both be healthier than most for it. BTW: pushing carbs for energy is a bit odd. If everything is based on evolution then we have tuned bodies to what they are today eating hunter gatherer. Only 7000 years ago (a second in evolution) did we started eating cheap stuff like grains (carbs) we can store, process etc. Today carbs and bad oils causes metabolic syndrome. I recommend to the author to read "Stay of my operating table" by cardiologist by Philip Ovadia.

Primarily I purchased this book to explore this type of exercise as I regularly exercise and thought the theory worth exploring. My problem is that I have not mastered the Kindle properly, so was unable to leaf through the book as you can with a hard copy book. I have similar problems with all books, namely no page number if I want to remember a detail and go back to it later, most maps are too small to read properly, I think I did find a way to enlarge but they were still too small. I suppose most of these problems are only my problems, but they are significant enough to have dampened my enthusiasm for the e book. Possibly my age is the main stumbling block, I usually pencil in notes in paper books for easy reference and if there is something I hadn't noted I could easily flip back through the pages and locate what I was looking for, not so with kindle..I will look for a 'Kindle for Dummies', which will simplify the usually indecipherable and difficult explanations for the computer illiterate. Sp you can see I am not really able to review this book. Sorry Peter Craig.

this book is great for a first timer. I would say I bought this book for several reasons: 1) to get a more in depth look into the scientific understanding of what HIIT does to the body. this was a little thin. got few single points I did not know but he skipped a little fast through the science. but hey many reviewers wants pictures and exercise options etc. it gives lots of this. hard to satisfy everyone. 2) the get clear overview of whats best. sprint 20 sec. or 30 sec. or 10 min. and how long recovery time is too little and too long. its touched upon but not much. hoped for scientific data on this. its a quick read. the book delivers and is well written. I recommend it to anyone new to HIIT. happy sprinting.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Last year I became intrigued with the "Fast Diet", a diet where you eat normally for 5 days, then reduce your calories to 500 for 2 non-consecutive days. Both my sister and I lost significant weight, mostly fat and its ease and simplicity still keep us motivated. The author of the book began investigating at a way to do the same thing with Exercise, and enthusiastically embraced High Intensity Interval Training. I read reviews of the current HIIT books out there and luckily picked this one. Mr. Driver is concise, interesting, inspiring and laid out the basics of why HIIT works. What I really liked was the supporting documentation and the various studies that proved how and why HIIT worked. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in HIIT. Currently, I'm on my sixth HIIT exercise routine and feel great. I use a treadmill with a heart monitor. I still walk with my sister and will continue to do other forms of exercise but now I don't worry about the time I need to put in for my health -- I can just enjoy it. Great Job Mr. Driver. Thanks!

I have been trying to get into a regular exercise routine for the last few months. I am great at getting one started and then seem to let things lapse. What I liked about this book is the concept of short and sweet. I have done some interval training in the past and know that it can be effective. I love the idea of picking out a spot in between two trees and making that your circuit, so to speak. I can easily do this as I live out in the country and have lots of trees outside. I like the idea of changing up your routine and this book does a good job of explaining why and how High Intensity Interval Training works. I plan on getting out my bike and fixing the tire and doing some interval training while cycling. The book is just the right length with a good amount of detail, but not too much as to put you off the idea of HIIT altogether. An informative and enjoyable read.

I've been doing HIIT for about a year, with gaps. I've been reluctant to embrace it fully because I wasn't sure how suitable HIIT was for heart attack victims like myself. This book is reassuring (and after all I'm still here). I am encouraged to take it more seriously, starting today ! It explained why I still feel stiffness in my calf muscles (no stretching after exercise) and gives me more ways of benefitting from HIIT. The text is mostly clear, except that at one point it talks about being fatigued after 5-10 seconds, as if the high intensity bit should last only that long. I think the author should have been more explicit.